Rum is a spirit made from sugarcane, either from fresh sugarcane juice or, more commonly, molasses. It can be clear and crisp, dark and rich, young and lively or aged for years in oak. Few spirits encompass quite such a broad range of styles.
Its roots run deep in the Caribbean, but rum has travelled wherever sugarcane has taken hold, developing distinctive traditions from Jamaica and Barbados to Cuba, Martinique and beyond. That diversity is exactly what makes rum so fascinating.
Rum’s story is inseparable from the history of sugar. Although sugarcane spirits existed earlier elsewhere, rum as we recognise it emerged in the Caribbean during the 17th century, when molasses, a by-product of sugar production, was fermented and distilled. Its history is also inseparable from colonialism and slavery: enslaved people supplied the labour on the plantations that drove the enormously profitable sugar and rum industries.
By the 18th century, rum had become an important commodity throughout the Atlantic world. It was traded across continents, consumed in Britain’s American colonies and famously became associated with the Royal Navy, which issued sailors a daily rum ration for more than two centuries.
Different islands and countries gradually developed their own traditions. Jamaica became known for intensely aromatic rums; Cuba for lighter styles; Barbados for balanced blends; and the French Caribbean for rhum agricole, distilled from fresh sugarcane juice rather than molasses.
Today, rum is enjoying renewed attention from distillers and drinkers alike. Producers are exploring provenance, longer ageing, historic production methods and the character of individual sugarcane varieties, revealing just how diverse the category can be.
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